


Hit The Deck

by Im_The_Doctor (Bofur1)



Category: Video Blogging RPF, Youtube RPF
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bets & Wagers, Bittersweet Ending, CPR, Dad Chase Brody, Drowning, Father-Son Relationship, Fear of Death, Mid-Canon, Multiple Selves, Panic, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Rescue, Swimming, Swimming Pools, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-31 16:40:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15123581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bofur1/pseuds/Im_The_Doctor
Summary: Jameson can’t swim. Unfortunately no one ever thought to ask about that before sending him into the deep end.





	Hit The Deck

Everything had happened too fast for him to react. One minute he was standing on the deck, watching with unease as swimmers across the pool performed their kicks and turns and dives, and the next someone had thought it would be funny to scoop him up and toss him into the water. He hit the surface with a painful splat and whoever it was had been laughing, saying something about winning a bet with his nearby friends. They hadn’t stayed long enough to watch him start drowning.

Down here, the water was darker than Jameson had expected it would be; evening had already been falling when Marvin and Chase brought him here and now he was lost, floundering in water that pulled on him, dragging against every thrashing attempt he made to find the surface.

He’d learned in the life he’d been given that screaming was just as natural as breathing and right now, he couldn’t do either but he tried nonetheless, precious bubbles of air abandoning him as water rushed in to take their place. Chemicals that weren’t meant to be there found their way in, tangy and harsh in his throat and lungs, but no matter how he spluttered, there was only more and more.

With a wrenching heave, he managed to break the surface once but he only had half a second to draw a breath before the perilous depths sucked him back in and he only sank faster, panic hammering in his chest as it concaved in over his scorched lungs. No one was watching, no one was there to see him fighting the enemy that could slip right through his hands.

His fight was waning, the fire consuming him until every nerve was ablaze. Every way he turned, up or down, left or right, the agony grew stronger and stronger until it finally paralyzed him. No matter how his screaming brain commanded his body to move, it refused, his taut, straining muscles falling limp until he couldn’t give any more than feeble kicks and twitches that sent him in circles, like a clockwork doll running low on power.

Bubbles swirled around him in a dizzying spiral, tauntingly dancing away toward the light that dappled somewhere overhead. His eyes strained, blurring, refocusing and blurring again. That light was close, so close that he could have almost touched it if his hands would obey, but he was so…so  _tired_ …Darkness swelled up from the deep to join him, its coming so gentle that he didn’t even realize it was there until it rolled in and coaxed his eyes closed.

* * *

“Where’s Jem?”

It was the first question every single time, the first to form in Chase’s mind and on his lips, the first to give his eyes a mission as he scanned the large pool, darting from face to face to face and seeing no one. The crowd had somewhat dispersed since evening fell but he still couldn’t see any sign of him.

_Breathe! Breathe! Please, you’ve gotta breathe! I’m gonna make you—Please!_

_Why wasn’t I watching? Why didn’t I ever ask if he could swim?! Why? Why, why, why, why—?_

_Don’t give up, do you hear me?! Don’t you dare give up!_

Everything Schneep had taught him was swirling around like a hurricane in his mind—medical facts and techniques and advice that  _didn’t matter_  right now. He couldn’t afford to let himself think; if he took that time to think, he’d falter and he’d lose him. He couldn’t lose him, he couldn’t, not now, not ever— not like this—

How long had it been before he’d spotted the bubbles and the familiar black hat floating upside down near the diving board? How long had it taken him to plunge into the water and wrap his arms around Jameson’s still, unbreathing chest, tearing him out onto the deck? How long had it been before his screams had sent Marvin and the rookie lifeguard into their scramble to get help? Right now he couldn’t tally up the time; the only seconds he counted were those between compressions.

 _Don’t think. Don’t think._  The sickly strong amount of chlorine stung all of Chase’s senses and Jameson’s skin was clammy as he continued the endless cycle, never allowing himself a moment to linger. He couldn’t think about how the water made his hands slip as he tilted his head back or how Jameson’s lips were tinged pale blue as he pressed his own against them, forcing air down his throat. His vision was nothing but a blur of stars and colors from his own lack of oxygen and his mind had finally brought it back to basics: Dark blue vest,  _push_ , pale blue lips,  _breathe_.

A wet, hoarse sob broke his rhythm eventually as he pressed down on his chest too hard; he was certain something in there would break, but it was nothing compared to what was breaking in him.

“Breathe!” he begged, his voice little more than a thin wheeze as he bent down and emptied the rest of his pleas into him, pool water and the salt in the older Ego’s tears mingling on the younger’s still, pasty features.

He had no opportunity to sit up and find the dark blue for the next push; Jameson reacted, painfully smacking heads with him as he bucked and arched off the deck, choking on the water coming back up. Chase all but threw him onto his side, gripping his shoulder with trembling hands as he spluttered and retched, a terrifying amount of water pooling on the deck beside him.

As soon as the vlogger heard him draw in a sticky, garbled gasp of air, his body knew that his work was done. All adrenaline left him in a nauseating swoop and he couldn’t stay upright any longer, slumping onto his back in the growing puddle and finding himself completely unable to care that Jameson was spitting water into his ear.

After what seemed like an eternity, Jameson used what tiny sliver of strength he had to plaster himself against Chase’s side, with no regard to the shivering that would shake the both of them or the sopping wet clothing suctioning to each other’s skin.

“I thought I’d lost you,” Chase rasped thickly, lifting a heavy hand to comb through the younger Ego’s tangled, dripping hair and then carefully trace his neck, searching. The sensation of his shallow, racing pulse under his fingers was enough to bring the tears back to his eyes, but the weak words that appeared for him to see were what made the tears spill over.

**“I’m sorry, Da…”**

His speech slide was twitching and flickering and fading, barely visible, and when Chase glanced down at him with faint surprise, he was already out cold again. When he woke, he probably wouldn’t remember saying it.

That was okay. Chase let the words settle deep and close in his mind, staring up at the evening sky. Under the cover of the approaching sirens, he whispered.

“It’s not your fault, son. I should’ve been watching.”

**Author's Note:**

> And after he called for the ambulance, Marvin tracked down every member of that mean group who pushed him in and cursed them so that anything they drank for the rest of the night would make them sick. 
> 
> You have no idea how hard it was for me to choose what JJ would call Chase! "Dad" is too modern for his taste, so I guess just dropping a letter works for him <3
> 
> Most drownings are completely preventable. It's important to have layers of safety (fences, supervision, etc.) but one of the best measures is survival swim lessons when you're a kid or if you have kids. I'd recommend [ISR](https://www.infantswim.com/). It saved one of my friends' lives!


End file.
